Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, by Linda Lear A Life In Nature The Published Writing of Beatrix Potter The Tale of Peter Rabbit - 1902 The story of the naughty Peter Rabbit and his adventure in Mr McGregor's garden, was the first of Beatrix Potter's books to be published, in 1902, by Frederick Warne. The book was an expansion of the original letter to Noel Moore, with black and white drawings and was refused by several publishers. Finally, Beatrix had the book printed herself, and gave it to her family and friends. Frederick Warne saw the book and agreed to publish it if Beatrix would replace the black and white images with colour sketches. This was to be the birth of a legend. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin - 1903 In 1901, while holidaying near Derwentwater in the Lake District, Beatrix wrote a letter to Norah Moore, sister of Noel, describing the Squirrels she saw daily. This letter eventually developed into the story of the cheeky squirrel, who dared to tease 'Old Brown' the owl, living on an island in the lake.

Buy at Amazon.com The Tailor of Gloucester - 1903 The Tailor of Gloucester was apparently Beatrix's favourite book. It is based on a true life story of a tailor in the City of Gloucester whom, leaving a waistcoat unfinished one Friday evening, was amazed to find it completed when he returned on Monday morning. In reality, the waistcoat was finished by an assistant, trying to give his master a helping hand. But in her book, Beatrix replaced the assistant with talking mice, and to add to the enchantment of the story, had it pass on Christmas Eve. Originally dedicated to another of the Moore children, it was inscribed; 'To Freda, because you are fond of fairy tales, and have been ill.' 22 of Beatrix's original drawings from this book may be seen in the Tate Gallery, London. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Benjamin Bunny - 1904 Benjamin is a self-confident little rabbit, the cousin of Peter. Together the couple get into all sorts of scrapes in Mr McGregor's garden, finally being rescued by Old Mr Benjamin Bunny, young Benjamin's father.

Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Two Bad Mice - 1904 The original dedication in this book shows the changes that were happening to the life of its author; 'To W.M.L.W. The little girl with the dolls house'. WMLW was Winifred Warne, favourite niece of Norman Warne, Beatrix's editor. Beatrix and Norman were, at this time, becoming close friends, and developing a romantic attachment. The doll's house in question was, in the story, the home of two dolls, Lucinda and Jane, who were troubled by the 'Two Bad Mice', Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle - 1905 Many of Beatrix Potter's books were based on the numerous pets she had kept during her life. Although she did, at one time, have a pet hedgehog named Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, the character in the book is based on an old washerwoman in the village of Sawrey, Mrs Kitty MacDonald. The young girl in the story, Lucy, was Lucy Carr, the daughter of the vicar of Newlands which is a valley between Derwentwater and Buttermere.

Many of the pictures in the book are beautiful images of the Newlands Valley. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan - 1905 This was one of the first books to show the farmhouse in Sawrey - Hilltop Farm - later to become Beatrix's home for many years. Starring Ribby the cat and Duchess, her friend, a small black dog. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher - 1905 The character of Jeremy Fisher, the frog, was first seen in a letter to Noel Moore in 1894. The book however, was published some 11 years later. It is the story of Mr Fisher's narrow escape from a hungry trout, which, fortunately, doesn't like the taste of Mackintoshes. Buy at Amazon.com The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit - 1906 The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit was first published in the form of a single strip of card which opened up to tell the story of a naughty, nameless rabbit, who finally gets his just reward.

Buy at Amazon.com The Story of Miss Moppet - 1906 Originally published in the same format as The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, The Story of Miss Moppet was re-published in the standard format in 1916 because the book shops didn't really like the panoramic format, being too easily damaged. It tells the story of Miss Moppet, Tom Kitten's sister, and her less than successful efforts at catching a mouse. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Tom Kitten - 1907 Tom Kitten was a caricature of every naughty little boy. He gets messy, loses his clothes, and generally gets into lots of mischief with his sisters Moppet and Mittens, much to the annoyance of his mother, Mrs Tabitha Twitchet. The drawings show Hill Top farm, the Lake District farm owned by Beatrix Potter, although at the time this story was written, she wasn't actually living there. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck - 1908 The tale of a rather naive, and not too bright duck, who makes a rather strange friend, and eventually has to be rescued by Kep.

Kep was the farm collie dog, based on one of Beatrix Potter's own dogs. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (or The Roly-Poly Pudding) - 1908 First published in 1908 under the title of The Roly-Poly Pudding, it wasn't until 1926 that it was re-published under its current name. Its main character is a disagreeable, lazy rat, Mr Samuel Whiskers, who, with his wife, Anna Maria, manages to catch Tom Kitten and very nearly gets to turn him into the 'Roly-Poly Pudding' in question. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies - 1909 Although physically, this book was published relatively early in the series, in the world of Beatrix Potter, it is much later. Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny are grown up and Benjamin has married Peter's sister, Flopsy. The story is based around the daring rescue of Benjamin and Flopsy's children, the Flopsy Bunnies of the title, from the grasp of Mr McGregor and the pie dish of Mrs McGregor.

Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Ginger and Pickles - 1909 This was one of the most popular tales with the inhabitants of the village of Sawrey, showing many views of the village. The book was set in the village shop, and was dedicated to John Taylor, husband of the shopkeeper in Sawrey, who apparently spent a lot of his time in bed, as the dedication reads: 'With very kind regards to old Mr John Taylor, who methinks might pass as a dormouse! (Three years in bed, and never a grumble!).' Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse - 1910 This book concerns Mrs Tittlemouse, a terribly particular and tidy little dormouse and several uninvited guests, including Mr Jackson, an ill-mannered toad. The book has some wonderful drawings of insects and small creatures, and really shows Beatrix's talent for drawing animals; the picture of Mrs Butterfly is just perfect. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes - 1911 By this time in Beatrix Potter's career, she was becoming famous world-wide, and this particular book was written with an American audience in mind.

There are grey squirrels (originally introduced into the UK from the USA), chipmunks and a black bear. By this time in her life, Beatrix was very preoccupied with farming, and this was the only book she produced during the whole year. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Mr Tod - 1912 On writing this book, Beatrix Potter claimed to be tired of 'Goody goody books about nice people'. So, the stars of this book are Mr Tod, a suave and sophisticated, yet thoroughly nasty fox, and Tommy Brock, a rather disagreeable badger. It tells the story of the kidnapping of the Flopsy Bunnies, but fortunately, ends happily. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Pigling Bland - 1913 1913 was a very busy year for Beatrix. Preparations for her marriage to William Heelis, and moving into her new home, meant that she only just managed to finish this book. Most of the drawings are pen and ink, with just a few in the watercolours that have become synonymous with her work.

Buy at Amazon.com Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes - 1917 Most of these nursery rhymes had been written many years before, as early as 1893. The book was left unpublished as Beatrix concentrated on the Peter Rabbit tales, and it wasn't until 1917, after constantly being badgered by her publisher for a new book, that Beatrix dusted off these old drawings and finished them off. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse - 1918 This book marks a return to the Lake District, with Johnny Town Mouse accidentally visiting the countryside. By this time in her life, Beatrix's sight was failing and she was worried about being able to complete the drawings. However, as can be seen, she shouldn't have been. They are as beautiful as ever. The story was dedicated 'To Aesop in the shadows', as it was based on one of his fables. Buy at Amazon.com Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes - 1922 Similar in origins to her first book of nursery rhymes, this second book can trace its roots back to 1893.

Dedicated to 'Little Peter in New Zealand', Peter was the orphaned son of a casualty of the First World War, nephew of a friend of Beatrix from New Zealand. Buy at Amazon.com The Tale of Little Pig Robinson-1930 A change from the Lake District settings, this book was based in Devon in southern England, and was started in 1901 or 1902, during a holiday there. It wasn't to be finished until nearly thirty years later. Buy at Amazon.com Other Books The books described below can not really be considered part of the 'Tales' series. They were written or illustrated throughout Beatrix Potter's life and show a different aspect of her life and artistic abilities. Some of these works were never published during the lifetime of the author, but can now be found in The Complete Works of Beatrix Potter, published by F Warne and Co. Three Little Mice Even in the early 1890s, long before the publication of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter had sold several pictures for use on greetings cards and as illustrations to other peoples works.

Some time in the early 1890's she set out her own booklet; its theme was taken from the children's nursery rhyme: Three little mice sat down to spin, Pussy passed by and she peeped in. 'What are you at my fine little men?' 'Making coats for gentlemen.' 'Shall I come in and cut your threads?' 'Oh no! Miss Pussy, you'd bite of our heads!' Each of the six lines was accompanied by its own picture. It was never published during the author's lifetime. Some of the images were later used in The Tailor of Gloucester, and these drawings are critically acclaimed as being some of Beatrix Potter's finest art work The Sly Old Cat The Sly Old Cat was written in 1906 but was never published. The original manuscript was given to Nellie Warne, youngest daughter of her publisher. The drawings were never truly finished and are mainly just pen and ink sketches. A few pictures show splashes of colour here and there, but the book was never completely finished The Fox and the Stork The Fox and the Stork is the story of a tea party between two characters who are not on the best of terms.

The story was written in 1919 and is loosely based on one of Aesop's Fables. It was never published at the time, as Beatrix's publisher said of the tale 'It's not Miss Potter, it is Aesop'. The Rabbits' Christmas Party This is another set of six paintings, dating from the early 1890s. There is very little dialogue, just a few words and the pictures, showing a group of rabbits enjoying a traditional Christmas. Copyright (c) Frederick Warne & Co., 2007 Images reproduced by kind permission of Frederick Warne & Co. © copyright 2006 - 2016 Beatrix Potter's Children's Books - online versions Beatrix Potter's Children's Books To go staight to the books click HERE , or for more info read on. BEATRIX POTTER is probably one of the best know and loved children’s authors ever. Her books had been the nursery companions to several generations of children and I myself can remember being enchanted by The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, read to me by my mother. Here you will find a substantial collection of 20 of her best loved works.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) - was the first of Beatrix Potter's books to be published, in 1902, and concerns the naughty Peter Rabbit and his adventure in Mr McGregor's garden. The first issue was self published with black and white illustrations and distributed to friends and family. It as then taken up by Warne and published with colour illustrations. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin (1903) – originated from Beatrix’s experiences watching Squirrels she saw daily while holidaying near Derwent water in the Lake District. The Tailor of Gloucester (1903) Was based on a supposedly true life story of a tailor in the City of Gloucester who left a waistcoat unfinished one Friday evening, and was amazed to find it completed when he returned on Monday morning. The waistcoat was actually finished by an assistant, giving his master a helping hand. In her book, Beatrix replaced the assistant with talking mice, and to add charm to the story, had it happen on Christmas Eve.

(22 of Beatrix's original drawings from this book may be seen in the Tate Gallery, London.) The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904) Benjamin is, the cousin of Peter and together they get into all sorts of trouble in Mr McGregor's garden, finally being rescued by Mr Benjamin Bunny, young Benjamin's father. The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904) The dedication in this book 'To W.M.L.W. The little girl with the dolls house', refers to Winifred Warne, niece of Norman Warne, Beatrix's editor. Beatrix and Norman were, by now becoming close friends, and developing a romantic attachment. The doll's house was the home of two dolls, Lucinda and Jane, who were troubled by the 'Two Bad Mice', Tom Thumb and Hunca Munca. The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle (1905) Although Beatrix did, have a pet hedgehog named Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, the characters in the book are based on Mrs Kitty MacDonald an old washerwoman in the village of Sawrey, the young girl, Lucy, was Lucy Carr, daughter of the vicar of Newlands which is between Derwentwater and Buttermere.

Many of the pictures in the book images of the Newlands Valley. The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan (1905) This was the first books featuring Hilltop Farm to become Beatrix's home for many years. Characters Ribby the cat and Duchess, a small black dog. The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher (1905) The story of Mr Fisher (the frog) and a narrow escape from a hungry trout, which, fortunately, doesn't like the taste of Mackintoshes. The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906) Tells of a naughty, nameless rabbit, who gets his just reward. The Story of Miss Moppet (1906) Tells the story of Miss Moppet, Tom Kitten's sister, and her efforts at catching a mouse. The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907) Tom Kitten gets into lots of mischief with Moppet and Mittens (his sisters) and gets into trouble with his mother, Mrs Tabitha Twitchet.

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908) The tale of a rather naive, and not too bright duck, who befriends a fox and has to be rescued by Kep, the farm collie dog. The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (or The Roly-Poly Pudding 1908 ) First published in 1908 as “The Roly-Poly Pudding”, and re-published 1926 with its current name. Mr. Samuel Whiskers a (lazy rat), and his wife, Anna Maria, nearly turns Tom Kitten into the 'Roly-Poly Pudding'. The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909) Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny are grown up and Benjamin has married Peter's sister, Flopsy. The features the rescue of Benjamin and Flopsy's children, the Flopsy Bunnies, from the dread Mr McGregor. The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909) The book is set in the Sawrey village shop, and is dedicated to John Taylor, husband of the shopkeeper in Sawrey.

The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse (1910) Mrs Tittlemouse, a very fussy & tidy little dormouse has several uninvited guests, including Mr Jackson, an ill-mannered toad. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes (1911) This book includes some American animals - grey squirrels, chipmunks and a black bear. The Tale of Mr Tod (1912) Mr Tod, an urbane and sophisticated, yet very nasty fox, and Tommy Brock, a rather unpleasant badger get involved in the kidnapping of the Flopsy Bunnies. The Tale of Pigling Bland (1913) Tells the store the events surrounding Aunt Pettitoes. And her family of eight, four little girl pigs, called Cross-patch, Suck-suck, Yock-yock and Spot; and four little boy pigs, called Alexander, Pigling Bland, Chin- chin and Stumpy. Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (1917) Most of these nursery rhymes were written earlier but the book was left unpublished till 1917 as Beatrix concentrated on the Peter Rabbit tales.

The Tale Of Johnny Town-Mouse (1918) Set in the Lake District, Johnny Town Mouse accidentally visits the countryside. Other Books Some of these books were never published during her lifetime, but can now be found in The Complete Works of Beatrix Potter, published by F Warne and Co. Three Little Mice (c1890) The Sly Old Cat (1906) The Fox and the Stork (1919 ) The Rabbits’ Christmas Party (c1890) Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes (1922) Jemima Puddle-Duck's Painting Book (1925) Peter Rabbit's Almanac (1929) The Tale Of Little Pig Robinson (1930) Sister Anne (1932) The Tale Of The Faithful Dove (1955) The Art Of Beatrix Potter (1955) The Journal Of Beatrix Potter, 1881-1897, 1966 (Ed. L. Linder, Rev.

1989) Letters To Children (1967) A History Of The Writings Of Beatrix Potter (1971) (Ed. By L. Linder) The Tale Of Tuppenny (1973) Beatrix Potter's Birthday Book (1974) Dear Ivy, Dear June (1977) Beatrix Potter's Americans (1982) Yours Affectionately, Peter Rabbit (1983) Beatrix Potter's Nursery Rhyme Book (1984) Beatrix Potter's Letters (1989) (Ed. J. Taylor) Click HERE to go to the books About Beatrix Beatrix Potter was born in Kensington, London in 1866 to a wealthy middle calss victorian family. She was educated at home by a succession of governesses and so did not get much of a chance to mix with other children. Even her younger brother, Bertram, was rarely at home having been sent to boarding school, leaving Beatrix alone with her pet animals.

Her pets included frogs, newts, rabbits, a dog, and even a bat, her favorites were two rabbits, Benjamin, whom she described as "an impudent, cheeky little thing", and Peter, whom she took everywhere with her, on a little lead. She would watch these animals for hours, sketching them and so developing her drawing talents from a young age. Potter aged fifteen years with her dog, Spot Every summer, the family rented a country house - first Dalguise House in Perthshire, Scotland, then in Lake District. In 1882, the Potter family met local vicar, Canon Rawnsley, who was concerned about the effects of industry and tourism on the Lake District and who, in 1895, found the National Trust, to help protect the countryside. Beatrix had a love of the natural countryside, and through Rawnsley, became interested in conservation of the region, something that affected the rest of her life.

She eventually purchased Hill Top Farm in the village of Sawrey, Cumbria, in the Lake District and with the royalties from her books, she brought further pieces adjacent land under the guidance of local solicitor William Heelis whom she eventually married in 1913. The couple lived at Hill Top Farm and many of here best works show Hill Top Farm farm house and the village. Beatrix Potter died at Castle Cottage in Sawrey in 1943. In her will, she left most of her property to the National Trust (16 km²) of land, cottages, and 15 farms. A legacy that has helped protect the beauty of the Lake District and perpetuate traditional fell farming. All of her properties lie within what is today known as the Lake District National Park. Further Reading Miss Potter , a biographical film starring Renée Zellweger, was released on 29 December 2006. The character of Norman Warne was played by Ewan McGregor. A very symathetic portrayal and well worth a watch. Places To visit Hill-Top Farm is open to the public, but for a limited number of vistors per day.

It has been restored to exactly the condition as it was when Beatrix lived there. The Beatrix Potter Gallery , in Hawkshead village itself, shows a number of original letters and drawings. The Beatrix Potter Attraction displays a collection of models and displays of Beatrix's work, in Windermere Village. The Beatrix Potter Garden , Dunkeld House in Perthshire, Scotland, now home to the Birnam Institute, has gardens recreating Beatrix's tales and exhibitions throughout the summer.

Further reading Susan Denyer, Beatrix Potter: At Home in the Lake District (2000) (biographical, plus photography of Potter's Lake District) Anne Stevenson Hobbs, Beatrix Potter: Author and Illustrator (2005) (ISBN 0723257000; ISBN 978-0723257004) (collection of 200 of Potter's paintings, a catalogue of the Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition of 2005) Anne Stevenson Hobbs, Judy Taylor, and Joyce Whalley, Beatrix Potter, 1866-1943: The Artist and Her World (1987) (ISBN 0723235619; 978-0723235613) (a companion to the Tate Gallery Exhibition) Margaret Lane, The Tale of Beatrix Potter: A Biography (2001) (ISBN 978-0723246763 ; 0723246769) Linda Lear, Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature (Allen Lane, 200

6) (ISBN 0713995602, ISBN 978-0713995602) (biography) Beatrix Potter, Beatrix Potter: A Journal (2006) (ISBN 0723258058; ISBN 978-0723258056) Judy Taylor, Beatrix Potter: Artist, Storyteller and Countrywoman (1996) (ISBN 0723241759; ISBN 978-0723241751) Links to Beatrix Potter Resources The tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (Book, 1908) [WorldCat.org] Find more libraries Librarian?

Claim your library to The tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck Author: Middlesex ; New York : F. Warne, 1908. Edition/Format: Print book : Fiction : Juvenile audience : English View all editions and formats Database: WorldCat Summary: Unsuspecting Jemima Puddle-Duck foolishly allows the cunning Fox to help her find a "safe" nest. Kep, the barnyard collie, and her pups rescue Jemima Puddle-Duck from the fox's cooking pot. Rating: You are connected to the University of Washington Libraries network Hide local services for this item OCLC FirstSearch Add library to Favorites Please choose whether or not you want other users to be able to see on your profile that this library is a favorite of yours. Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item... Details The original and authorized ed. Description: 58 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm Responsibility: by Beatrix Potter. Abstract: Unsuspecting Jemima Puddle-Duck foolishly allows the cunning Fox to help her find a "safe" nest.

Kep, the barnyard collie, and her pups rescue Jemima Puddle-Duck from the fox's cooking pot. Reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Be the first. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Be the first. Tags Add tags for "The tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck". Be the first. Similar Items 1000+ images about Beatrix Potter on Pinterest | Beatrix potter figurines, Beatrix potter and Broken china jewelry She tried to hide her eggs; … Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck (London: Frederick Warne [1908]). See More The Life of Beatrix Potter The Life of Beatrix Potter By Susan Wittig Albert A comfortable chair, a cup of chamomile tea, perhaps a young child to snuggle with, and a stack of classic little books by Beatrix Potter . . . a cozy winter scene.

Tea accessories courtesy of The Cupboard, Fort Collins, Colorado Slideshow • Beatrix Potter's Herbs and Flowers I do not remember a time when I did not try to invent pictures and make for myself a fairyland amongst the wild flowers, the animals, fungi, mosses, woods and streams, all the thousand objects of the countryside; that pleasant, unchanging world of realism and romance.—Beatrix Potter, November 25, 1940 A proper young lady in ­Victorian London, spinning dreams on the pages of her little books, introduced generations of children to a remedy for tired rabbits: chamomile tea at bedtime. Beatrix Potter’s fetching characters and engaging stories reflect her delight in the natural world around her, a world free from the restrictiveness of the society in which she was born in 1866. Beatrix Potter lived with her parents and brother in a large house in a prosperous part of London. Few amusements were tolerated in her parents’ dark Victorian parlor, but as a little girl, she enjoyed a great deal more freedom in the gardens.

There, she entertained herself by collecting and studying toads, bats, hedgehogs, rabbits, and fossils, sketching insects and plants, and writing in the journal that she kept for more than fifteen years in her own secret code. Like most other young women of her time, Beatrix was expected to stay home and take care of her parents until she married, but as the years went on, Beatrix nurtured a daring dream: to live in a cottage of her own, surrounded by flowers and herbs. She kept that dream quietly in her heart until her children’s tales had earned enough money to make it come true. As she approached thirty, Beatrix Potter’s pleasures in nature matured into a passion for fungi, and she began making detailed watercolor drawings of the mushrooms she observed as she tramped the woods and meadows during family holidays. She hoped for recognition of her work, but Victorian scientists were hardly receptive to women’s efforts, and she eventually abandoned her fungus studies. She continued to sketch her favorite animals, however: her rabbits, Peter and Benjamin; Hunca Munca, her mouse; Mrs.

Tiggy-winkle, her beloved hedgehog; and a procession of voles, toads, and newts borrowed from the gardens and woods. She originally drew these delightful sketches and wrote the accompanying stories for the children of her former governess. They led to the publication in 1902 of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and eventually to almost forty more books. Then in 1905, Beatrix, now nearly forty, and her publisher, Norman Warne, fell in love. Her parents opposed the match, but the couple persisted and planned their wedding. Sadly, Warne, never strong, fell ill with pernicious anemia and died. A bereft Beatrix was left to make what she called a “fresh beginning” without the man she loved. It was a time of great grief, but it opened the door to a magical decade of writing, gardening, and village life in the cool, green Lake District in the north of England. In the summer of 1905, she bought Hill Top Farm, which stood under the shelter of a small hill behind the village inn in the hamlet of Near Sawrey.

She characterized the purchase as an investment—the only excuse a Victorian woman of her class could possibly give for acquiring a dilapidated cottage and small acreage. (“My purchase seems to be regarded as a huge joke,” she wrote wryly to a friend.) After Norman’s death, Beatrix had the whitewashed, seventeenth-century cottage enlarged and began to create the garden. “The garden is very overgrown and untidy,” she wrote to Millie Warne, Norman’s sister, who had become a good friend. “I have got the quarryman making walks and beds. It will be a great pleasure to show you the result some day.” By the following spring, Beatrix was able to write to Millie that her fruit trees were flowering well but that the lawn she planned had been done “all wrong” and that the bare wall and wooden railings looked “painfully new”. She set out to find plants and discovered wall-rue fern (probably polypody, a traditional medicinal herb) growing in an old stone bridge that was being pulled down. She transplanted the fern to her new garden wall to soften the bare stones. The planting went on sporadically, interrupted by lengthy stays in London and holidays with her family.

In the fall of 1906, Mrs. Taylor, who lived in the corner cottage, presented her with a large, newspaper-wrapped bundle of saxifrage (another medicinal, supposed to break up bladder stones). Over the next weeks, Beatrix was inundated with offers of plants. “It is very kind of people,” she wrote, “and as it is the right time to thin and replant, I don’t feel such a robber of the village gardens.” In letters to Millie, she mentioned interplanting some “most splendid phloxes” between the laurels in her garden, and lilies between the azaleas, as well as setting out syringa, rhododendrons, red fuchsia, witch hazel, clematis, Japanese anemones, sweet William, gentians, forget-me-nots, and daffodils. She expected the lilies to do especially well because she had planted them “most carefully” in a mixture of sand, old mortar, and black peat. Later, she remarked that her hollyhocks had also done well, growing 14 feet tall.

But every rain brought up a “perfect forest” of groundsel that she had to pull up, and as her garden matured, she found herself spending a great deal of time weeding, pruning, fertilizing, digging, and transplanting. “I am absorbed in gardening,” she wrote happily, illustrating her pleasure with a tiny sketch of herself exuberantly wielding a manure scoop. Beatrix’s garden included many herbs. One day, she “impudently” took a large basket and trowel and went to see an old lady at Windermere, coming away with large bundles of violets and lavender slips. “If they ‘strike’ they will be enough for a lavender hedge,” she wrote to Millie. (In her stories, she used the folk name “rabbit tobacco” for lavender.) She rescued some lunaria, also called honesty or moonwort, from a heap of garden refuse: “Stolen plants always grow,” she said. “I stole some honesty yesterday. . . .

I have had something out of nearly every garden in the village.” We can guess that her garden also included the many herbs she wrote about in her children’s stories: ­rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, onions, parsley, chamo­mile, germander, yarrow, nasturtiums, calendula, pansies, pinks, daisies, and foxgloves. She would also have grown the potherbs that were a staple of a country diet and a welcome fresh taste in early spring: rhubarb, radishes, lettuces, mustard, and cress. On her deep windowsill there would have been a row of clay pots containing geraniums, maidenhair fern, ivy, and trailing campanula. We can be confident that she knew a great deal about herbs because on a handy small table, with her great-grandfather’s Bible and a favorite candlestick, she kept a copy of Gerard’s Herball. In the spring of her first year in the old farmhouse, she found a swarm of bees and caught them herself in a straw skep.

“ No one in the village has lost them,” she wrote to Millie, “and I don’t mean to inquire further afield!” The years after 1905 were filled with the creative energy for Beatrix’ drawings and stories and the delights of rural life. She stayed at Sawrey as often as possible, describing herself to a friend as a “sort of self-contained independent female farmer”. The ­demanding life of farm and garden was interleaved with the books she wrote in that period, usually two a year. Most of her stories are set at Hill Top Farm and on the streets of Sawrey, and they bring the village to vivid life. Tabitha Twitchit and her kittens, Jemima Puddle-Duck, the impeccably mannered Fox, Kep the collie, Cousin Ribby, Mr. Samuel Whiskers, Farmer Potatoes—all are drawn from the animals Beatrix saw around her, living in her garden and the woods, on the village streets, in the village shops.

In 1908, when she was working on Ginger and Pickles, she wrote to Millie Warne that the book was causing amusement among the villagers, for it had “a good many views which can be recognized in the village which is what they like, they are all quite jealous of each other’s houses and cats getting into a book”. In the summer of 1909, Beatrix used the proceeds from her writing to buy Castle Farm, which was adjacent to Hill Top. In addition to her gardens and farms and her work as an artist, she was still her parents’ dutiful daughter, shuttling back and forth to London and the Potters’ rented holiday houses, trying to placate her parents in their querulous demands for attention. “I have kept very well and managed the going backwards and forwards,” she wrote to Millie in August 1912, “but it takes it out of me.” The solicitor who drew up the contract for her purchase of Castle Farm was Mr. William Heelis, a tall, quiet man. They became “very much attached”, and he proposed marriage. The Potters once again objected to their daughter’s marriage.

(He was country solicitor and she a spinster of forty-six! What could they be thinking of?) But Beatrix prevailed, and she and her Willie were married at St. Mary Abbot’s in Kensington, on October 15, 1913. The couple moved to Castle Cottage, where they lived for the rest of their married life. Beatrix also maintained the nearby gardens at Hill Top Farm, which she kept as her private retreat. In 1924, she wrote this loving description: I am very fond of my garden, it is a regular old fashioned farm garden, with a box hedge round the flower bed, and moss roses and pansies and black currants and strawberries and peas—and big sage bushes for Jemima, but onions always do badly. I have tall white bell flowers I am fond of, they are just going over, next there will be phlox; and last come the michaelmas daisies and chrysanthemums. Beatrix’s marriage marked the end of her most creative period as a storyteller and artist. The First World War came, and she felt the desolation of it.

“I tried a little drawing in winter,” she wrote in 1915, “but could not stick to it, also could not see, for my eyes are gone so long sighted.” She wrote a few more books, but her interest in fairy-tale creatures had been transformed into a passion for her farm animals, particularly the native Herdwick sheep that she was learning to love. “Somehow when one is up to the eyes in work with real live animals it makes one despise paper-book-animals,” she wrote in 1918, close to the end of the remarkably fertile years of drawing and writing. “But I mustn’t say that to my publisher!” She became entirely a “female farmer”, retreating from those who wanted to celebrate her artistic achievements and living in seclusion from the outside world. To a reviewer who compared her art to that of the famous landscape painter John Constable, she snapped: “For goodness sake don’t write any more rubbish about me.” And to many who loved her children’s tales and looked everywhere for her, Bea­trix Potter may seem to have disappeared altogether.

But she continued to participate in the lively life of the village, in the local sheep breeders’ association, and in the National Trust, to which she gave her properties. And those who knew her best knew where she could be found, nearly every fine day until the last year of her life—in her garden. Further Reading • Beatrix Potter’s Letters. Selected and introduced by Judy Taylor. London: Frederick Warne, 1989. • The Journal of Beatrix Potter: 1881–1897. Transcribed by Leslie Linder. London: Frederick Warne, 1966. • Lane, Margaret. The Magic Years of Bea­trix Potter. London: Frederick Warne, 1978. • ———. The Tale of Beatrix Potter. London: Frederick Warne, 1946. There are two newsletters published about the life and work of Beatrix Potter: The Beatrix Potter Society Newsletter (High Banks, 26 Stoneborough Ln., Budleigh Salterton, Devon EX9 6HL England) and Pottergram (141 High Plain Rd., Andover, MA 01810).

Susan Wittig Albert of Bertram, Texas, is the author of the popular China Bayles herbal mystery series. The latest, just out from Berkley Publishing, is Rueful Death. She also writes Victorian mysteries with her husband under the pen name of Robin Paige. Beatrix Potter & Peter Rabbit Pottery | Homewares Shop | WWSM Beatrix Potter & Peter Rabbit Pottery Previous Next Page 1 of 1 (No: of Products 12) Helen Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was a best selling English author born on July 28 in Kensington Square, London, England. Her parents were Rupert Potter and Helen Leech and that’s why the name Helen was dropped from her name to save any confusion with her mother. An ardent illustrator, a qualified mycologist (the study of fungi), and an active conservationist, she was best known for her many best-selling children's books that featured animal characters. It was her love of animals and nature that led her to study and draw them. Beatrix Potter’s books have provided many hours of enjoyment to generations with her classic tales of Peter Rabbit and his friends.

Her tales recently have been gracing the big screen showing that the Beatrix Potter stories have an appeal that have a grown up nostalgic feel to them, as well as being a continuing childhood favourite. As parents continue to read their own favourite stories to their children this means her tales will continue to be a household favourite for years to come. Churchill China’s premium brand, Queens, continues to interpret her tales onto a variety of house wares, mugs and gifts. Queens produce a variety of fine bone china mugs as well as a two piece box set, which makes a brilliant gift depicting images and text from Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-duck. Images from the Tale of Peter Rabbit have also been transferred onto textiles comprising of a double oven glove, an adult and child’s apron and tea towels. Introduce loved ones to the Mug of Jemima Puddleduck who has trouble keeping hold of her eggs and enlists the help of a cunning fox, thankfully Kep the Collie is there just in time to rescue her. Or there is the Mug depicting the lovely Peter Rabbit who gets into trouble in Mr. McGregor’s garden and see how he returns in a mug of the tale of Benjamin Bunny to rescue his clothes!

Or perhaps join Mrs Tiggy-Winkle with a brew as she is joined by Lucie to launder clothes from animals and birds of the neighbourhood. All these lovely stories come to life as illustrations on adorable pottery pieces. Churchill can trace its origins back to 1795 to the foundation of its first factory in the heart of the potteries Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. ‘Queens’ as well as ‘James Sadler’ are two of its major brands producing fine bone china and supplying stores throughout the world. Jemima Puddle Duck Cottage Sign - Danthonia Designs USA Jemima Puddle Duck Cottage Sign Next Sign JEMIMA PUDDLE DUCK is the star of this handcrafted house sign in Warburton, Victoria. This well-loved barnyard animal probably needs no introduction, but it may be that she is not so well known to today’s younger generation, which would be too bad. So, here is a bit of background. Jemima Puddle Duck is the main character in a children’s book that Beatrix Potter, the English author, wrote and illustrated in 1908.

It was based on real life people and animals at Hill Top, the farm in the Lake District where Beatrix lived, and it was one of her most hugely popular books, along with Peter Rabbit. It was her first book that was completely based on the farm setting, using the background and nearby locale as a model for her paintings. Jemima herself is a domestic duck, Aylesbury to be precise, and the drama centers around her problem of finding a place where she can hatch her eggs, since the farmer’s wife doesn’t think she will sit, and so continually confiscates her eggs. Jemima makes the mistake of accepting a fox’s invitation to nest in his shed, but luckily, she is rescued by Kep, the collie, who discovers her in the nick of time. People loved Jemima Puddle Duck so much that by 1910, soft toys were being sold, complete with paisley shawl and bonnet.

Potter also made a Jemima Puddle Duck coloring book in 1925, though she ran into problems waiting for ducklings to hatch and be used as models (since the eggs turned out to be rotten.) Much later, in 1971, this story was woven into a Royal Ballet film called ‘The Tales of Beatrix Potter’, and then as part of a BBC series, ‘The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends’ in 1993. Classics hopefully never die, and it looks like Jemima is here to stay. In this case, she is beautifully hand painted on this friendly cottage sign which will be there to welcome visitors for years to come. Lettering

Question: Which Beatrix Potter female character was rescued from a fox by Kep the collie?
Answer: Jemima Puddle-Duck